


Coulson Lives

by Changing



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Changing/pseuds/Changing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coulson is alive. Pepper and Tony's reaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coulson Lives

The doors to the penthouse at Stark Tower burst open and Pepper flew in between them. 

“Hey, Pep! Thought you were super busy right now? You know that lecture you gave this morning about a lunchtime sexy call being out of the question for some--”

“Phil is alive.” Pepper said breathlessly as she shook and grabbed for Tony’s hand.

“Pepper...Honey,” Tony took a breath,”No. No he’s not.” He laid his uncovered hand on her shoulder. “We’ve gone over this, Pepper. Coulson is dead.”

“JARVIS didn’t tell you?” Pepper looked up at him, eyes watering. He couldn’t tell if she was happy or terrified but he was confused. 

JARVIS spoke before Tony could.

“Due to the nature of the relationship I’ve recorded between Ms. Potts and Agent Coulson, I thought it best to inform her first before getting the Avengers involved. Perhaps it would help in a less destructive retaliation.”

Tony was quiet. Absolutely quite. He stared at the floor; at his arm covered with mechanisms for a new suit (just in case) mind reeling. 

Phil died for them and he almost died for the world. Tony Stark made the sacrifice play because he realized that if Phil didn’t matter more than the world than neither did the rest of them. Phil is dead. He went up against a God and...lived? 

But Phil was dead. Tony saw it. He saw the footage from the helicarrier he saw Natalie/Natasha hold Barton up right after they’d told him, post shawarma. Overwhelmed Tony demanded JARVIS show him what Pepper saw.

So, he did. And Tony saw the video taken at 11:02 this morning just blocks away. 

The footage was grainy but that didn’t matter. What he noticed first was the suit. It was fine, as far as he could tell, simple and obviously well cared for. Next was the hair, or lack thereof. And his eyes. They were difficult to make out but he had been analyzed by them too many times not to know them. They were the same, warm and yet chilled eyes that helped Pepper through running a billion dollar company on her own. The same eyes that burrowed daggers into him when Tony implemented the Captain’s prototype shield as leverage for piping. The same eyes that stared so blankly in the images Tony had brought up from the helicarrier to make sure Fury hadn’t been lying. Those eyes had belonged to a dead man.

Phil was dead. Now he’s alive? How was that possible

Pepper clung to him or did he cling to Pepper. His breathing was quicker than he remembered it being a moment ago. And he realized he was angry.

And hurt.

And sad.

And...overjoyed.

Coulson is alive.


End file.
